Tianna Bartoletta hands the baton to Allyson Felix of United States in a women's 4 x 100-meter relay heat , during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The United States was given an extra shot to qualify for the final of the 4x100 after the team successfully protested that Allyson Felix had been bumped just ahead of a botched handover.

The IAAF said the U.S. team would be allowed to run on their own in the evening session at 8 p.m. and try to qualify on time.

The United States sought reinstatement into the final of the women’s 4x100 meters after claiming that Allyson Felix was bumped by a rival runner just ahead of a botched handover.

The U.S. team crossed the line well behind all other teams in their relay after Felix picked up the baton and handed it over to English Gardner. Replays showed how Felix lost balance just before the handover.

"I got bumped coming into the exchange zone and it completely threw me off balance," said Felix. "I tried to hold it together to get to English. Maybe if I had one more step I could've, but I was falling."

Felix seemed to stumble as she entered the exchange zone and flipped the baton in desperation. It hit the ground as Gardner and Felix crashed into each other. Gardner held her head in desperation as Felix went to pick up the baton and hand it over.

The U.S. team did finish the race as last. At the same time Jamaica easily won their first heat. The Dutch team was also out.